Corporate History

Bob Davenport moved to Florida in 1974 and became a project engineer, designing and building saturation diving systems and commercial submarines for the offshore oil market. After 10 years in that industry, he decided to change directions and this is where the RGD story really begins.

Bob obtained his general contractors license and set out to build the highest quality homes available. That desire for quality, combined with an ever increasing engineering knowledge base, brings us to 1988 when RGD Consulting Engineers was officially incorporated in Southeast Florida.

RGD’s work for the Trump Organization at “Maralago” in 1990 paved the way for major growth throughout Palm Beach County, Florida. Estee Lauder Companies of New York hired RGD to work on their landmark properties in South Florida. In 1996, RGD collaborated with a South Dakota based engineering firm specializing in “Displacement Air Conditioning Systems." The result was a state of the art system capable of removing smoke and other contaminants from a building before they pollute furniture and finishes. Up until then, this system was only used in large Vegas Casinos. The collaboration produced the first single family residence to use this technology.

As the firm’s client list grew through the late 80s and 90s, RGD consulted on engineering projects in every possible sector. These included mixed use retail, educational, public works, industrial facilities, multi-family dwellings, medical centers, resorts, hospitality, marinas, government, institutional, residential projects and religious structures.

In early 2000, RGD was selected to engineer all tenant improvements including a 900 ton cooling tower and smoke management system in the 21 story Esperante Building located in downtown West Palm Beach, Florida. A short time later the Phillips Point building in downtown West Palm Beach retained RGD to be responsible for all their needed improvements. Soon after it was on to The Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach, Palm Beach County School Board’s 360 schools, Marriott Vacation Clubs and Resorts, Palm Beach Day Academy, and so the RGD story continues…

Over the years Bob Davenport has not lost his love for building and today spends much of his time in the field making sure the systems designed by his firm are properly constructed. A successful project requires careful, detailed attention to all of the parameters involved and accuracy in the preparation of construction documents. This devotion is breathed into everything that RGD Consulting Engineers produces.

Today, RGD Consulting Engineers is no longer that small Florida engineering firm. Its market segments reach across to the United States, Caribbean, South America and the world.